Thursday, April 01, 2010

( I know it's April First, but I'm choosing to ignore that fact. No fools joke here)
I've been feeling a bit nostalgic the last few day. Maybe it the mood in the air. maybe it because so many things right now mirror that time (unemployment! War! oil!) ... But I'm been thinking of the decade I was born, the 80s....So, I'll admit it.... I was born in the 80's, but I'm not really a child of the 80's. Blessed, or cured with a very secluded childhood, I wasn't really aware of anything at the time. I missed most of what was popular then.
Music from that time is mostly lost on me. Fashion is a lost cause. Shoulder pads anyone? Big hair? Plaid? But there are a few thing I look fondly back at... Most of them are movies. so, for the next weeks I'll be looking back on a few of my favorite form the 80's...
This week it's...

Who Framed Roger Rabbit.What a movie. Time has treated this one well, it's aged gracefully, unlike about 90% of the movie made in that decade. Plus it's one were mom, dad and the kids can watch, and all laugh, but not necessarily at the same thing. I was too young when I first saw it to understand about half the jokes, but that did make re watching it after a few even better. Of course, I was so young when I saw it that I thought all the animated characters were real. I’m sure I’m not alone there (In fact, seems Bob Hoskins kid though it was real too )... I was disappointed to learn that they weren’t when I got older. In fact, I think a lager percentage of the adult male population was disappointed that Jessica Rabbit wasn't real. Face it, she was making many a young mans heart beat faster way before most of these barley dressed anima girls became popular. No worries someone has "untooned her, so all you fan boys can get an idea what she's look like in "real" life

(Equally surprising was finding out later that Bob Hoskins was not an American at all, but in fact English. Knock me over with a feather, he nailed that accent)
From the plethora of cameos some of the most beloved of animated caricatures, to the the wonderful recreation of the old noir movies, Roger Rabbit is a tough one to label.
Apparently, I was saved from deep child hood trauma by the fact that Christopher Lee turned down the role of Judge Doom. I mean, the man's scary. Now that I think about it, I can't believe this is a Disney movie. It's pretty intense... Just with the drinking and smoking, I think it might get an R now! And some of the talk is surprisingly lewd... Look at most of Baby Herman's lines. Not to mention scary for those under 10..... (I may have been saved by the fact Christopher Lee didn't play Judge Doom, but my brother wasn't. Christopher Loyd sacred the crap out of my brother.)
Still, this movie was wonderful for me at that age. And, despite the bit that may be a bit too intense for the wee ones, it still pulls though with the happy ending, though the disappointing part to me was you never got to see Dooms "real" face.... Just his eyes...